Potomac State Selected Among Nation’s Most Affordable

From the State Journal www.statejournal.com

The U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center recently included West Virginia University at Parkersburg and Potomac State College of West Virginia University among its list of the nation’s top most affordable four-year colleges in the country.

The two West Virginia schools were the only Mountain State four-year institutions to make the list of 67 colleges and universities. The national average tuition rate, according to the list, is $7,617, and tuition at each school on the list is less than $4,000.

“We have consistently been named on this list, and we are pleased to still be among the most affordable colleges in the country,” said Fletcher Lamkin, WVU Parkersburg president. “We strive to provide a high quality education that offers flexible scheduling and real-world experience to prepare our students high-paying jobs without leaving them with mountains of student loan debt.”

The 2015 list is based on data collected during the 2013-14 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System data collection cycle, according to a news release from WVU Parkersburg, and is the most recent data to undergo the full National Center for Education Statistics data review process.

Specifically, tuition and fees data came from the institutional characteristics survey component, which collected 2011-12 and 2013-14 charges. Average net price data came from the student financial aid survey component, which collected and calculated the average net prices for academic years 2010-11 and 2012-13.